Hundreds of university students are being offered free security measures to reduce their risk of theft thanks to funding from Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen.
Funding has been secured from the County Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner and Durham University to enhance cycle security in Durham City through the provision of anti-theft bike reflectors, Gold Standard Bike Locks, and tamper-proof identification stickers.
When the QR code is scanned with a smartphone, they link back to the police-approved Bike Register database to prove ownership, recover stolen or lost property and confirm if a bike is stolen.
Data shows a high proportion of cycle thefts reported in Durham City during the winter occurred near or on Durham University’s campus.
Even when bikes have been securely locked at designated racks covered by CCTV, offenders have equipped themselves with angle grinders to remove the locks with face coverings to avoid detection.
The PCC has teamed up with Durham Constabulary and Durham University as part of her prevention-first approach and is proactively working with partners as part of a new Problem-Orientated Policing (POP) plan, led by the force.
Thieves know registered bikes are harder to sell and can link them back to a crime, making them less likely to be stolen in the first place, while those that are stolen can be tracked back to their owner more easily with the aid of registration.
In other measures, Durham Constabulary has worked with the University to create a new library scheme for robust lock sharing across campuses to be promoted at future student events which makes this scheme sustainable.
The theme of prevention runs throughout the PCC’s Police, Crime and Justice Plan, with the Commissioner investing significant funding annually in POP plans that bring together key agencies and stakeholders to tackle issues holistically and to develop practical solutions to local problems.
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “Students have warmly welcomed these increased anti-theft measures and are doing what they can to reduce the opportunity for thieves to strike. Our aim is to issue these locks and stickers over the coming months to provide a stronger deterrent for offending and to prevent more students from becoming victims.
“Bikes are expensive to replace, and such losses can be extremely inconvenient for those who rely on cycles to travel to and from campus. This project is another shining example of partners working together to fund practical and effective solutions.
“Drugs and alcohol are often the driving forces behind this sort of theft, property crime and shoplifting offences, as people seek to obtain quick cash to find their habits. Alongside doing more to protect victims, as a Commissioner I am determined to divert more offenders into treatment for their problems, tackling the source of their criminality to make our neighbourhoods safer. These two approaches to prevention go hand in hand.”
